A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

Kathleen D Vohs¹, Brandon J Schmeichel², Sophie Lohmann^{3

4}, Quentin F Gronau⁵, Anna J Finley⁶, Sarah E Ainsworth⁷, Jessica L Alquist⁸, Michael D Baker⁹, Ambra Brizi¹⁰, Angelica Bunyi¹¹, Grant J Butschek¹², Collier Campbell⁸, Jonathan Capaldi¹³, Chuting Cau¹⁴, Heather Chambers², Nikos L D Chatzisarantis¹⁵, Weston J Christensen¹⁶, Samuel L Clay¹⁶, Jessica Curtis¹⁷, Valeria De Cristofaro¹⁰, Kareena Del Rosario¹⁸, Katharina Diel¹⁹, Yasemin Doğruol²⁰, Megan Doi¹, Tina L Donaldson²¹, Andreas B Eder²², Mia Ersoff²³, Julie R Eyink²⁴, Angelica Falkenstein²⁵, Bob M Fennis²⁶, Matthew B Findley²⁷, Eli J Finkel²⁰, Victoria Forgea²⁸, Malte Friese²⁹, Paul Fuglestad¹¹, Natasha E Garcia-Willingham³⁰, Lea F Geraedts²², Will M Gervais³¹, Mauro Giacomantonio¹⁰, Bryan Gibson³², Karolin Gieseler²⁹, Justina Gineikiene³³, Elana M Gloger³⁰, Carina M Gobes²³, Maria Grande³⁴, Martin S Hagger^{35

36}, Bethany Hartsell¹¹, Anthony D Hermann³⁷, Jasper J Hidding²⁶, Edward R Hirt²⁴, Josh Hodge³⁸, Wilhelm Hofmann¹⁹, Jennifer L Howell³⁵, Robert D Hutton³⁷, Michael Inzlicht¹⁴, Lily James³⁹, Emily Johnson¹⁷, Hannah L Johnson¹⁶, Sarah M Joyce²³, Yannick Joye⁴⁰, Jan Helge Kaben²⁹, Lara K Kammrath⁴¹, Caitlin N Kelly²³, Brian L Kissell³², Sander L Koole⁴², Anand Krishna²², Christine Lam²⁵, Kelemen T Lee³⁷, Nick Lee¹⁵, Dana C Leighton⁴³, David D Loschelder⁴⁴, Heather M Maranges²³, E J Masicampo⁴¹, Kennedy Mazara Jr²⁷, Samantha McCarthy²¹, Ian McGregor⁴⁵, Nicole L Mead⁴⁶, Wendy B Mendes⁴⁷, Carine Meslot¹⁵, Nicholas M Michalak⁴⁸, Marina Milyavskaya¹³, Akira Miyake⁴⁹, Mehrad Moeini-Jazani²⁶, Mark Muraven²¹, Erin Nakahara⁴⁷, Krishna Patel¹⁴, John V Petrocelli⁴¹, Katja M Pollak⁴⁴, Mindi M Price⁸, Haley J Ramsey⁵⁰, Maximilian Rath⁴⁴, Jacob A Robertson⁴⁹, Rachael Rockwell⁵¹, Isabella F Russ²², Marco Salvati¹⁰, Blair Saunders⁵², Anne Scherer⁴¹, Astrid Schütz⁵³, Kristin N Schmitt⁴⁹, Suzanne C Segerstrom³⁰, Benjamin Serenka²¹, Konstantyn Sharpinskyi⁴⁵, Meaghan Shaw¹³, Janelle Sherman²⁴, Yu Song⁴¹, Nicholas Sosa⁵¹, Kaitlyn Spillane²⁵, Julia Stapels³⁴, Alec J Stinnett⁸, Hannah R Strawser², Kate Sweeny²⁵, Dominic Theodore⁵¹, Karine Tonnu⁸, Yasmijn van Oldenbeuving⁴², Michelle R vanDellen¹², Raiza C Vergara²³, Jasmine S Walker⁹, Christian E Waugh⁴¹, Feline Weise⁴², Kaitlyn M Werner¹³, Craig Wheeler⁴⁵, Rachel A White⁹, Aaron L Wichman⁵⁰, Bradford J Wiggins¹⁶, Julian A Wills¹⁸, Janie H Wilson²⁸, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers⁵⁴, Dolores Albarracín⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marketing, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University.
³ Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
⁵ Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam.
⁶ Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
⁷ Behavioral Sciences Department, Tallahassee Community College.
⁸ Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University.
⁹ Department of Psychology, East Carolina University.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome.
¹¹ Department of Psychology, University of North Florida.
¹² Department of Psychology, University of Georgia.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Toronto.
¹⁵ School of Psychology, Curtin University.
¹⁶ Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University-Idaho.
¹⁷ Department of Psychology & Counseling, Arkansas State University.
¹⁸ Department of Psychology, New York University.
¹⁹ Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.
²¹ Department of Psychology, University at Albany.
²² Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg.
²³ Department of Psychology, Florida State University.
²⁴ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University.
²⁵ Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside.
²⁶ Department of Marketing, University of Groningen.
²⁷ Psychology Department, Austin College.
²⁸ Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University.
²⁹ Department of Psychology, Saarland University.
³⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky.
³¹ Centre for Culture and Evolution, Psychology, Brunel University London.
³² Psychology Department, Central Michigan University.
³³ Department of Marketing, ISM University of Management and Economics.
³⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Cologne.
³⁵ Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced.
³⁶ Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä.
³⁷ Psychology Department, Bradley University.
³⁸ School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne.
³⁹ London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.
⁴⁰ Department of Management, ISM University of Management and Economics.
⁴¹ Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University.
⁴² Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
⁴³ College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Texas A&M University, Texarkana.
⁴⁴ Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University Lüneburg.
⁴⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo.
⁴⁶ Schulich School of Business, York University.
⁴⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
⁴⁸ Department of Psychology, University of Michigan.
⁴⁹ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.
⁵⁰ Department of Psychology, Western Kentucky University.
⁵¹ Psychology Department, Ohio University.
⁵² School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee.
⁵³ Department of Psychology, University of Bamberg.
⁵⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam.

PMID: 34520296
PMCID: PMC12422598
DOI: 10.1177/0956797621989733

Meta-Analysis

A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

Kathleen D Vohs et al. Psychol Sci. 2021 Oct.

. 2021 Oct;32(10):1566-1581.

doi: 10.1177/0956797621989733. Epub 2021 Sep 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marketing, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University.
³ Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
⁵ Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam.
⁶ Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
⁷ Behavioral Sciences Department, Tallahassee Community College.
⁸ Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University.
⁹ Department of Psychology, East Carolina University.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome.
¹¹ Department of Psychology, University of North Florida.
¹² Department of Psychology, University of Georgia.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Toronto.
¹⁵ School of Psychology, Curtin University.
¹⁶ Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University-Idaho.
¹⁷ Department of Psychology & Counseling, Arkansas State University.
¹⁸ Department of Psychology, New York University.
¹⁹ Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.
²¹ Department of Psychology, University at Albany.
²² Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg.
²³ Department of Psychology, Florida State University.
²⁴ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University.
²⁵ Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside.
²⁶ Department of Marketing, University of Groningen.
²⁷ Psychology Department, Austin College.
²⁸ Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University.
²⁹ Department of Psychology, Saarland University.
³⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky.
³¹ Centre for Culture and Evolution, Psychology, Brunel University London.
³² Psychology Department, Central Michigan University.
³³ Department of Marketing, ISM University of Management and Economics.
³⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Cologne.
³⁵ Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced.
³⁶ Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä.
³⁷ Psychology Department, Bradley University.
³⁸ School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne.
³⁹ London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.
⁴⁰ Department of Management, ISM University of Management and Economics.
⁴¹ Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University.
⁴² Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
⁴³ College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Texas A&M University, Texarkana.
⁴⁴ Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University Lüneburg.
⁴⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo.
⁴⁶ Schulich School of Business, York University.
⁴⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
⁴⁸ Department of Psychology, University of Michigan.
⁴⁹ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.
⁵⁰ Department of Psychology, Western Kentucky University.
⁵¹ Psychology Department, Ohio University.
⁵² School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee.
⁵³ Department of Psychology, University of Bamberg.
⁵⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam.

PMID: 34520296
PMCID: PMC12422598
DOI: 10.1177/0956797621989733

Abstract

We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3,531) to assess the size and robustness of ego-depletion effects using a novel replication method, termed the paradigmatic replication approach. Each laboratory implemented one of two procedures that was intended to manipulate self-control and tested performance on a subsequent measure of self-control. Confirmatory tests found a nonsignificant result (d = 0.06). Confirmatory Bayesian meta-analyses using an informed-prior hypothesis (δ = 0.30, SD = 0.15) found that the data were 4 times more likely under the null than the alternative hypothesis. Hence, preregistered analyses did not find evidence for a depletion effect. Exploratory analyses on the full sample (i.e., ignoring exclusion criteria) found a statistically significant effect (d = 0.08); Bayesian analyses showed that the data were about equally likely under the null and informed-prior hypotheses. Exploratory moderator tests suggested that the depletion effect was larger for participants who reported more fatigue but was not moderated by trait self-control, willpower beliefs, or action orientation.

Keywords: ego depletion; open data; open materials; preregistered; registered replication; self-control.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared that there were no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship or the publication of this article.

Figures

**Fig. 1.**
Forest plot of performance outcome by laboratory. The box plots and numerical values illustrate the same effect-size estimates. For the plots, the size of each box represents its weighted contribution to the overall effect, and its whiskers display the 95% confidence interval (CI). The dotted line represents a zero effect size. Numerical effect sizes show standardized mean differences between the depletion and nondepletion conditions. The diamond is the overall meta-analytic effect derived from a random-effects model. Laboratories are referred to by the name of a principal investigator (PI), although some labs had more than one PI. The Wake Forest laboratory considered all members to be PIs and therefore is listed by site.

**Fig. 2.**
Bayesian forest plot of performance outcome by laboratory. The values listed under BF₊₀ indicate relative support for the depletion hypothesis versus a hypothesis that there was no effect. Diamonds indicate overall effect sizes from meta-analytic models using fixed effects and random effects and one that combined both approaches. Laboratories are referred to by the name of a principal investigator (PI), although some labs had more than one PI. The Wake Forest laboratory considered all members to be PIs and therefore is listed by site. BF = Bayes factor.

**Fig. 3.**
Tests of the model-averaged meta-analytic effect-size posterior and Bayes factor. The dotted line indicates the informed-prior effect-size distribution, and the solid line indicates the model-averaged meta-analytic posterior effect-size distribution. Roughly speaking, the peak of the shape indicates the likelihood of the effect size, and its width indicates variance. The two gray dots on the plot are the prior and posterior ordinates at delta = 0 (the prior being the lower dot). The pie chart shows a visual representation of the relative support for the alternative hypothesis (H+) and the null hypothesis (H0). CI = confidence interval.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

Affiliations

A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources